Sagara Sanosuke

] He overcomes this disability when he discovers that the "Futae no Kiwami" can be performed using both hands in succession which lessens the impact to his damaged hand. [cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 27|year=2006|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 159|page=pp. 71-72|isbn= 978-1421506746 ]

Plot overview

Years prior to the series' start, Sanosuke leaves his family during his childhood to join the Sekihotai. [cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 26 |year= 2006|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 229|page=|isbn= 1-4215-0673-4 ] Sanosuke admires their captain, Sagara Sōzō, and takes the family name, Sagara, from him. When the revolutionary government encounters financial problems, it labels the Sekihotai as frauds. The Sekihotai are executed, leaving Sanosuke as one of the few survivors. Having lost hope in his captain's dream of a new future, Sanosuke becomes a mercenary in Tokyo. [cite book |year=2003|title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 2|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 7|isbn= 1-59116-249-1 ] [cite book |year=2003|title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 2|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 8|isbn= 1-59116-249-1 ] Over the next ten years, he gains a reputation as one of the strongest hired fighters of the city. [cite book |year=2003|title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 1|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 6|isbn= 1-59116-249-1 ]

In his introduction in the manga, Sanosuke is hired to kill Kenshin, but after the former assassin defeats him, he learns of the truth of Kenshin's no-kill approach and becomes one of his allies. When the criminal Shishio Makoto tries to conquer Japan, Sanosuke helps Kenshin in the fight against him, and defeats the third most powerful opponent in his army: Anji, the monk that taught Sanosuke the "Futai no Kiwami" technique. [cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 13|year=2005|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 111|isbn= 978-1591167136 ] Months later, in an act of revenge to Kenshin, Yukishiro Enishi fakes Kamiya Kaoru's death. Sanosuke furiously leaves Tokyo after seeing Kenshin's sadness over this. [cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 24|year=2006|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 209|page=p. 56|isbn= 978-1421503387 ] In his wandering, he meets his family and attacks a former Ishin Shishi who was mistreating them. Soon he returns to Tokyo to rescue Kaoru with his friends. [cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 26|year=2006|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 236|page=|isbn= 1-4215-0673-4 ] After a successful rescue, Sanosuke leaves Japan and travels the world to avoid being arrested for attacking the Ishin Shishi.

Appearances in other media

In the "Samurai X The Motion Picture", Sanosuke helps to stop the samurai Takimi Shigure from overthrowing the Meiji Government as an act of revenge. [cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=217|title=Samurai X: The Motion Picture|publisher=Anime News Network|accessdate=2008-02-06] In the original video animations of the series, he is given a more humanized design and a more emotional personality. In "", an older Sanosuke discovers Kenshin gravely injured when he is travelling in Asia. He arranges for Kenshin's return to Tokyo and Kaoru, telling him that this is the last time they will ever meet. [cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=310|title=Samurai X: Reflection (OAV)|publisher=Anime News Network|accessdate=2008-02-04] Sanosuke is also a playable character in all of the "Rurouni Kenshin" video games, [cite web|url=http://www.banpresto-game.com/rurouni/main.html|title=Rurouni Kenshin: Enjou! Kyoto Rinne official website|publisher=Banpresto|accessdate=2008-02-06] including "Jump Super Stars" [cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/ajsj/p3.html#|title=Jump Super Stars official website|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=2008-02-06] and "Jump Ultimate Stars" [cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/ajuj/character/chara_38.html|title=Jump Ultimate Stars official website|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=2008-02-06] in which he is playable using either the zanbatō or as a common fighter.

Reception

Among the "Rurouni Kenshin" reader base Sanosuke has been popular, having ranked second in every "Shonen Jump" popularity poll of the seriescite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 14|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro|publisher= Viz Media |year=2005|chapter=Chapter 113|page=p. 28|isbn= 1-59116-767-1 ] [cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 16 |last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= Viz Media |year= 2005|chapter=Chapter 135|isbn= 1-59116-854-6 ] and has also ranked fifth in the "Favourite Kenshin's arch-enemies" polls featuring all Kenshin's opponents. [cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 26 |last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= Viz Media |year= 2006|chapter=Chapter 237|page=p. 170|isbn= 1-4215-0673-4] Merchandise based on Sanosuke has been released, including sweat bands, [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Rurouni-Kenshin-Sweat-Band-Sanosuke/dp/B000NWBVXA/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1209652081&sr=1-35|title=Rurouni Kenshin: Sweat Band - Sanosuke|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-01-28] keychains,cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Rurouni-Kenshin-Karou-Sanosuke-Group/dp/B000MQRV8G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1209651901&sr=1-4|title=Rurouni Kenshin, Karou, Sanosuke Group Key Chain|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-05-01] and plush dolls.cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Rurouni-Kenshin-Sanosuke-Plush-Figure/dp/B000IG2AV8/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1209651901&sr=1-9|title=Rurouni Kenshin: Sanosuke 8" Plush (Plush Doll Figure)|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-05-01] Ueda, Sanosuke's "seiyū" in the Japanese anime, commented that voicing Sanosuke in the original video animations was very complicated because his character was notably older and he has not acted in the role for a long period. He also said that he would have liked to see more fights involving Sanosuke in the original video animations, but was happy to see that Sanosuke had matured as a character. [cite video | people=Ueda, Yūji |year=2002|title=Rurouni Kenshin Seisouhen 1| medium=DVD|publisher=Sony] Lex Lang, the voice actor of Sanosuke in the English adaptation of the anime, commented that his first impression of Sanosuke was as a fight-driven character motivated by anger, but as the story continued Sanosuke became friendly and more likable. Because his voice is noticably different from Ueda's, Lex tries to create his own interpretation of Sanosuke's character. Lang has noted that the scene of the episode 22 of the anime, in which Sanosuke is afraid of a train because he believes it is a demon, is the funniest scene he has ever recorded. [cite web|url=http://www.dubreview.com/ki_ll.php|title=Interview with Lex Lang|publisher=Dubreview.com|accessdate= 2008-05-03 ]

Several anime and manga publications have provided both praise and criticism of Sanosuke's character. Anime News Network said that Sanosuke's first fight in the series against Kenshin was stereotypical for an action series due to the differences between Sanosuke's and Kenshin's personalities, and to the music used in the anime that gives the impression that Kenshin would win. [cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/rurouni-kenshin/dvd-2|title=Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 2 - Battle in the Moonlight|last=Shepard|first=Chris|publisher=Anime News Network|accessdate= 2008-02-13] SciFi.com commended him for being a good source of comic relief and described his appearance as a video-game icon. However, they commented he was a "tragic figure whose goofy peccadilloes have solid reasons behind them" due to being unable to avoid the destruction of the Sekihotai army and feeling guilty due to it. Mania Entertainment praised Sanosuke's character development and transformation from an enemy of Kenshin into one of his most stalwart friends. In the original video animations, Anime News Network called his design "pretty awkward" due to the difference in the graphics utilized in the original video animations compared to the graphics in the anime.cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/rurouni-kenshin-ova-series-2-part-1 |title= Ruroni Kenshin second OAV series Seisouhen, part 1 |date= 2004-09-08 |accessdate= 2008-05-01 | publisher= Anime News Network | first=Mike |last= Crandol ]

References